1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a pipe extraction apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved well pipe extraction apparatus adapted for the removal of relatively brittle PVC pipe from the ground without breaking pipe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Thousands of groundwater monitoring wells have been installed at environmental restoration sites in the United States and other countries throughout the world. A substantial amount of these groundwater monitoring wells are intended to monitor a temporary contaminated site condition, and upon completion of the remediation effort, will need to be removed. Monitoring wells no longer in use and that are not fully extracted from the ground can act as a conduit for contaminants to flow to groundwater. This, in turn, raises serious public health issues. Furthermore, it is difficult for regulators to monitor well removal and insure that all components of a well have in fact been removed. With decreasing government and commercial environmental funds available, many restoration programs are now confronted with exorbitantly high costs to remove their groundwater monitoring wells and currently have little or no cost-effective options to meet regulatory removal requirements for well removal.
Presently, removal of monitoring wells formed of relatively brittle PVC pipe is delicate operation as undue torquing of such piping results in weakening and potential fracture of such pipe resulting in enhanced cost and time in removal. When an attempt is made to secure a PVC pipe for extraction from the ground, frictional engagement of an interior surface of such pipe frequently results in fracture due to the nature of PVC pipe.
Other existing methods to remove PVC pipe involve either clamping to an exposed above ground portion of the well and pulling the well out of the ground or over-drilling the well before removal of the pipe. Clamping and pulling on the above ground portion of the well will consistently separate the well components (especially in the case of PVC pipe wells) leaving unretrievable portions of the well in the ground.
Over-drilling essentially makes a larger hole around the existing well so the PVC pipe which forms the well can be easily removed. However, well components can still separate by this method making retrieval of the remaining components very difficult, especially in deep wells. Over-drilling is also very costly and time consuming, requiring large drill rigs and generating substantial amounts of contaminated soil waste in the over-drilling process. Additionally, over-drilling adversely impacts a site by making significantly larger holes around the wells.
As such it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new and improved monitoring well pipe extractor which addresses the problems of ease of use and effectiveness to engage and permit extraction of a well pipe from an in-ground placement.
The present invention overcomes some of the difficulties of the past including those mentioned above in that it comprises a relatively simple and inexpensive yet highly reliable well pipe extraction apparatus for the removal of brittle PVC pipe from the ground without breaking pipe.
A well pipe extraction apparatus for removing a groundwater monitoring well consisting of PVC pipe from the ground. The well pipe extraction apparatus includes a wire rope, a soft eye formed at an upper end of the wire rope and knurled brass rod attached to the opposite end of the wire rope. An operator lowers the knurled brass rod to the bottom end of the well casing. The operator then pours sand particles down the well casing. The sand particles wedge in-between groves within the brass rod and the interior surface of the well casing locking brass rod to the well casing creating a force sufficient to allow the operator to extract the PVC pipe from the ground.